Virginia's Secret
by SprkySage
Summary: As the Ministry's prosecuting Barrister in a murder investigation, Draco Malfoy finds himself about to enter the lingerie wherehouses of 'Virginia's Secret.' Virginia Weasley is a suspect. Will Draco's love blind him or lead him to the truth.
1. Virginia's Secret

Virginia's Secret  
  
_________________  
  
***The Legal Malarky:   
  
1) We do not claim to own any portion of the Harry Potter franchise and do willingly acknowledge that ownership of that franchise belongs to J.K. Rowling [affiliated with TimeWarner, Bloomsbury, and Scholastic]. We do not intend this story for the purpose of making a profit.  
  
2) The writing of this story is a colaborative effort made by regular members of christiancoulson.com. You can find us and this story at http://www.christiancoulson.com/cgi-bin/board/ikonboard.cgi. The member responsible for bring the group story about is Ausaims. [Complete list of chapter authors to appear below.]  
  
3) We do not, in any way, intend for any comments relating to the character of Simon Cowell to in any way malign the character of the public figure of the same name.   
  
4) Under no circumstances is this story to be reproduced or redistributed without the expressed written consent of these members of cc.com: Sampaguita, Angelamyte, Catriona, Hesaki, Ausaims, Lydia C, Ava, Ms.Poet, Voldie, and Mandragora.  
  
Now without further gilding the lily and with no more ado we give you...  
  
CHAPTER 1: Virginia's Secret  
  
by Sampaguita (aka demisha969)  
  
Draco Malfoy pressed the button beside the heavy metal door and heard the loud buzz from within the building. Above the entrance was a elegant placard bearing the moniker "Virginia's Secret," written in what looked like a fluid script hand. Several moments passed. He pushed the buzzer again, and met only silence. He pulled out his wand just as the door was pushed open.  
  
"What do you want?"   
  
The woman who answered the door was built like Attila the Hun. His eyes drifted to her forearm where a tattoo with RODNEY spelled out in blue letters resided in the center of a burgundy colored heart. Her presence seemed as apropos to a lingerie factory as the image of an American quarterback at a debutante ball. Draco felt sorry for Rodney— the poor little bugger. Was THIS the little Weasley he used to joke Potter about? Was it possible that the invisible little girl he knew at school had grown up to become roughly the size of a barge? The hair color was roughly the same—more strawberry blonde than the vibrant red he remembered.  
  
"My name is Draco Malfoy. Are you Virginia Weasley?"   
  
She tooted like a foghorn. Draco supposed that the sound was meant to be a gesture of mirth, but sounded a bit like a rampaging Godzilla. Then she spoke, "Is that supposed to be a joke?"  
  
"No. I'm a barrister for the Ministry. I'm looking for Ms. Weasley. Is she here?" He removed what looked like a wallet from his breast pocket and flashed his credentials.  
  
That won him a scowled glare and a deliberately slow and distrustful once-over. "Follow me."  
  
She led him to the stairwell. "Second floor," she told him before pushing him through and slamming the door behind him.  
  
He climbed the stepsand opened the door to a carpeted, climate-controlled office that was exquisitely furnished, complete with a simpering receptionist who, upon noticing him, said "Mr. Malfoy?"  
  
"That's me."  
  
"Ms. Weasley is expecting you. Go right in."  
  
She opened the door for him and stepped aside. He went in and received the next in a series of mild astonishments. He had expected to walk into a glamorous office that lived up to the expectations evoked by the reception area. In stead, this was a vast, functional working space. There were several drawing tables and three headless dress forms, a sewing machine, swatches of fabric, and a woman.  
  
Seated on a high stool, bending over one of the tables with a pencil in hand, sat who he assumed was Ginny Weasley. As the door shut behind Draco, she raised her head and looked at him from behind a pair of trendy, but functional rectangle-framed plastic glasses. "Draco Malfoy?"  
  
"Virginia Weasley?"  
  
"Yeah, that's my name."  
  
She wasn't what he'd expected. But then, what had he expected little Ginny Weasley to look like after all these years? Like Godzilla out there guarding the front? It hardly seemed like she and her bouncer belonged to the same species, much less the same gender. Her outfit was smart, comprised of a tailored blouse and trousers—but she exuded femininity in a way that her truck-driver-esque bouncer did not.  
  
"You wanted to see me?" she asked, extending her hand.  
  
He took it. "Yes."  
  
"Can I offer you anything to drink?"  
  
"Nope. Thank you."  
  
He gave her a subtle once-over. Immediately, he was able to ascertain several things about her. She was a working woman, and not overly concerned with feminine affectations and vanity. She was also a woman trying to hide her nervousness behind polite hospitality. Only the pulse beating at the base of her neck gave her away.   
  
As his gaze left her throat, his eyes settled on a trinket hanging from a pale green silk chord around her neck. It took her a moment to realize exactly what he was looking at.   
  
"It was a gift."  
  
"What's in it?" The small vile lying against her chest contained a translucent, green liquid. "A bloody love potion?"  
  
His gray eyes connected with hers in what seemed like an audible click. And, out of nowhere, Draco found himself wishing that he wasn't talking to her in an official capacity.  
  
She uncapped the vile and blew bubbles. "It's just a whimsical distraction for when work gets me down… My cousin is a squib, and she likes to give me these amusing muggle trinkets. Why are you here?"  
  
"Simon Cowell— GOP Congresswizard from the United States." Draco let the name settle between them, throwing down the proverbial gauntlet. She refused to pick it up, so he continued. "You heard about his murder?"  
  
"Certainly. The Daily Prophet interviewed me about it not too long ago. Didn't you read the article?"  
  
"No. When was this?"  
  
"The day his body was found—a couple days ago. The reporters came to get my reaction."  
  
"What do you know about the murder?" Draco asked.  
  
"Only what I read in the newspapers, why?"  
  
"Were you acquainted with Cowell?"  
  
"Never met him."  
  
"But he knew you," Draco said, dangerously. "Didn't he Ms. Weasley?"  
  
"Only as the owner of Virginia's Secret—not personally. He's acquainted with my name… Which he's tried to make synonymous with the terms 'smut peddler' and 'pornographer.'"  
  
"How did you feel about that?"  
  
"How the f@#$ do you think I felt?"  
  
"I'd say that you hated it."  
  
"That pretty much covers it."  
  
"Well, I guess the next question I've gotta ask is—What were you doing the night Simon Cowell was murdered?" 


	2. Interview Gone Awry

CHAPTER 2: THE INTERVIEW GONE AWRY  
  
by Angelamyte   
  
For a second after Draco asked that question, Ginny was transported back to the Weasley house when she was a child. Her mother pointedly staring, accusing her of Fred and George's antics or Percy drilling her about his quills' whereabouts. She could hear the voices implying and charging her of things that she didn't do. This was yet another instance.   
  
She shook her head, erasing the thoughts as if they were notes on her mental blackboard. She wasn't that girl anymore, and she wasn't going to act like her.  
  
"Draco, you of all people should know that I was at that gala honoring the six year anniversary of Harry's heroic death against Voldemort." Ginny stated as she got up to look him straight in the eye. Draco flinched when he heard Harry Potter's name, but then went back to nonchalantly fingering the unfinished velvet cloak on Ginny's desk.  
  
"Harry Potter." He scoffed, "Was it just six years ago that he died? It seems like a lifetime. I guess that you have witnesses that can attest to this claim?"  
  
"Witnesses? How about the 500 people who I spoke to, and the millions of people who heard my speech?"  
  
"You have an airtight alibi." He said as he made notes in his leather notebook.  
  
"It's as airtight as it can be, without saying that I was with you." Draco looked up and gave her a look that made her blush.  
  
"I see that you are still trying to be what you aren't." Draco said as he slid his notebook back into his coat and walked closer to her.   
  
"What I'm not? How dare you say that after just speaking to me for hardly 10 minutes."  
  
"My dear Ginny," Draco said softy as he raised his arm to stroke her cheek, "I've been watching you for longer than you want to imagine."  
  
"My name is Virginia! And don't you dare touch me with your vile hands."  
  
"What a pity, we could've been good together. Very good." He said, with layers of innuendo lacing the sentence.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, is that all?" she got red in the face up to her newly henna rinsed hair, "As you can obviously see, I am very busy designing my new line. If there are no further questions, please leave."  
  
"As a matter of fa—" the phone rang, cutting him off.  
  
Virginia crossed the room to answer it with swift, purposeful steps, and was wishing it were someone to get her away from that creepy Malfoy. "Virginia's Secret, Virginia speaking."  
  
"Ginny, it's me Ron. I'm in a bind. Not really a bind though, it's more of an extreme tangle." Ron whispered into the mouthpiece of his cell phone.  
  
"You know it's Virginia, and what's the problem?" she asked taking off her glasses and pinching the bridge of her nose. She has had enough problems without her older brother Ron adding something to the mix.  
  
"Well, you won't believe this, but Hermione and I are at Cowell's house. We thought that if we find the reason behind his dirty accusations, it'll lead us to his murderer, and take the spotlight off you."   
  
"Ron! How daft can you be? You're 26 now, not 14. That was a stupid thing to do." She yelled, and then remembered that Draco was in the room.   
  
He raised a blond brow, "I should be going now. I'll get my secretary to call you tomorrow for more details into this investigation."  
  
Virginia waved him off, turned around, and focused on Ron's problem.  
  
"Gin-Virginia, who's in the room? I heard a voice."  
  
"Don't worry, it was Draco Malfoy and he was just leaving." She emphasized the latter; as she turned around to make sure he left.  
  
"Ecoutous Phonous." Draco whispered as he pointed his wand at Virginia's telephone line, and was instantly made privy to the Weasley's conversation.  
  
"Drat, knowing Malfoy, he bewitched your phone. Look behind you, he's there right?"  
  
"But he's on his cell phone..oh.. DRACO!"  
  
"See you until next time Virginia," he said and disapparated with a soft 'pop'.  
  
"Ron, I'll call you, stay tight."  
  
"That's the problem, we can't." 


	3. Into The Alley

CHAPTER 3: Into the Alley  
  
by Catriona  
  
"What are you talking about Ron?" Ginny gripped the phone so tightly her knuckles were turning white.  
  
"Listen..Gin...I can't talk..." the phone began to produce static noises, then became a dial tone.  
  
Ginny swore as she slammed down the phone. Then, taking one last sweeping glance around the room as if to make sure Draco wasn't there, she slid into her jacket and exited the room. "I'm going out for dinner," she called to her secretary, who waved in response. Down in the lobby, she gave a quick nod to the woman with the RODNEY tattoo (I really have to learn her name one of these days she mentally noted), and breathed in deeply as she stepped out of doors.  
  
A quick glance around told her that Draco was nowhere to be seen. She slowly let out her breath, trying to ignore the keen sense of disappointment she felt. Pull yourself together, Ginny. You don't want him around for this.  
  
This section of London was bustling with muggles and wizards alike, all intent on their everyday business. Ginny's shoes clicked as she walked smartly down the street, trying to hide the nervousness inside.  
  
It was only a few minutes before she reached the Leaky Cauldron. Inside, it took her eyes a minute to adjust to the dimmness. The pub was filled with the usual lunch crowd, none who seemed to take special notice of her.  
  
"The usual, Miss Weasley?"  
  
"Not today, Tom." She smiled at the familiar face of the bartender. "Just passing through."  
  
"Gotcha," he said with a grin.  
  
She pushed open the door to the back garden, and gritted her teeth in annoyance when she saw who was there.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she growled.  
  
"The same thing you are, I suspect. Going to Cowell's house."  
  
"I thought you said you didn't know anything about him."  
  
"I thought you did too."  
  
"I lied." She scowled and crossed her arms. "Get lost, this is none of your business."  
  
"You know, did anyone tell you you're very sexy when you're angry?" Ginny felt the heat rise to her face. "Look, Virginia, I know where you're going and it's dangerous. You're going to need some protection."  
  
"Excuse me Draco, I grew up with five older brothers. I think I can protect myself. Now stand aside." She marched past him and pulled out her wand. A few taps- left, up, right, down- and the brick wall began to shift, revealing the bustling splendour that was Diagon Alley.  
  
Draco continued to follow her,chatting incessantly even after the wall re-appeared behind them. She weaved in and out of the crowd, trying to lose him, but deep down she knew she couldn't shake him. And she wasn't sure she wanted to.  
  
They were at the entrance to Knockturn Alley now. Ginny gave a little shiver as a cold breeze wafted through the alleyway and seemed to penetrate into her bones. "You know," said Draco, still behind her, "I never could understand why Cowell would live in a place like this."  
  
"There's people here of his kind," Ginny snorted. "Besides, he's not in London enough to really care."  
  
As they made their way along the alley, Ginny had to admit privately that she was glad Draco was with her. The looks some of the seedier witches and wizards were giving her looked less than friendly.  
  
At last they reached the dirtiest, most ill-reputed part of the alley, near the very end. A shabby looking house, one of the few residences in Diagon Alley, loomed before them.  
  
"So, do you think your brother's inside with Hermione?"  
  
"No, I don't," said Ginny. "He got cut off when I was talking to him on the phone. I think someone's taken him."  
  
"Know who?"  
  
"I have my hunches."  
  
They approached the door, and Draco jiggled the handle. "No good. They must have locked it when they took off." He began to run at it, ramming it with his shoulder, trying to loosen the lock. Ginny couldn't help noticing how well his broad shoulders filled out his suit...  
  
"Whoa whoa whoa." Ginny took her wand out of her purse for the second time that day. "Let me handle this. Alohomora! " A spark shot out and hit the lock and it let out a hiss as it fell to the ground.  
  
She blew on the end of her wand and smirked.  
  
"Nice work, Weasley."  
  
Inside looked dirty, but there were no signs of a struggle. Apparently no one had cleaned it out since Cowell had died. A thick coating of dust lay over everything.   
  
"Ron? Hermione?" Ginny called, but there was no answer.  
  
They decided to split up. Ginny went upstairs to the second floor, where a series of closed doors greeted her. She tried them all, but most of them were fairly empty. She didn't know what she was looking for, but she knew what she needed- evidence.  
  
The last door on the right was the smallest one. She pushed it open and let out a gasp.  
  
"Draco!" she yelled. "I think you better come see this!"  
  
"What is it?" Draco said, running up the stairs. "Is there someone here?"  
  
But Ginny didn't reply. Her mouth was still gaping open as she stood there, stunned.  
  
"What is it?" Draco repeated, coming to her side.  
  
"Well," she said quietly. "Now we know why someone might have wanted to murder Cowell."  
  
The entire room was filled with money. It was piled everywhere, galleons, sickles, knuts, gleaming in the thin sunlight that came through the window.  
  
"Yes, Virginia," said Draco, letting out a whistle. "There is a Santa Claus." 


	4. The Past Catches Up

A/N: okay here is my chapter. As I don`t understand really all of the first chapters, I dind`t write anything important for the proceed, just a little bit of the realtion between Draco and Ginny.  
  
And of course, it's not long   
  
Jope the english is not tooo bad.   
  
Mods, you can correctall you want of my mistakes!  
  
-----  
  
Chapter 4 - the past catchs up  
  
by Hesaki   
  
Draco walked through the room, trying to count the money.  
  
"That's to much. He must have been a millionaire."  
  
Ginny looke around. "How do we know that. Maybe he has all stolen."  
  
"Who cares." said Draco, grapping for some Sickles. "I think no one would miss some of them".   
  
Ginny walked right to him and took his hand. "The same guy like then." she said with a little nostalgically trace in her voice. "Always tooking what you want."  
  
Draco looked at her, and the sickles flew back to the bottom of the room. Then he pulled his arm back. "That's not true." he almost screamed. Than his voice turned quietly. "Ther have been some things I really wanted to have, but never got." He looked to Ginny and remebred her as a young child. Saw her in the book store at his second, where she defended Harry. This glow in her eyes and this strong little voice. She was really in love with Harry, but he never moticed her more than a little sister.  
  
Than Harry died and the always luck Virginia Weasley cried for days, cried for a guy who never gained this from her. This has been the time, when Draco really started to hate Harry more than he thought and the time, when he has begone to realize, that there have been more feelings for Ginny, that he ever knewed.  
  
Both were standing in the room, not saying any word, just staring at each other and not noticing what was happining around them.  
  
This was a magic moment, but not with such witchcraft a wand could do.  
  
Both didn't know how long they were standing there, seconds, minutes or hours.   
  
They dind't know what were happening around them and only one thing happened, that brought the two back to reality.  
  
"Gin." a familar voice reached her ears.  
  
Ginny looked back and saw Hermione and her brother Ron coming upstairs.  
  
"Malfoy." Ron said with a disgusting.  
  
"Gin, we found something in the cellar. You have to come with."  
  
Hermione and Ron went straight back to the stairs. Ginny startet to follow them but Draco grapped her arm.  
  
"No word to them what was right happening here." he said and let her standing without waiting for reaction.  
  
Ginny looked at his backside, while he was going downstairs and asked herself, what would have been happening, if Hermione and Ron hadn't come... 


	5. Suspicious

CHAPTER 5: Suspicions.  
  
by Ausaims  
  
Ginny hesitated before following Draco, Ron and Hermione back down the stairs, and a funny look came over her face as she remembered the last time she'd been down in that cellar.  
  
"This is the perfect market for your business." Cowell had said, gesturing grandly around the cellar.   
  
Ginny's eyes had wandered around the cellar, taking in the photographs and magazines proudly displaying naked men and women. She'd moved closer and noticed that one of the magazines which featured more prominently in the display was titled "Playwizard". Her nose wrinkled with disgust at one particular shelf.  
  
"And that's not all," Cowell had said, his chest puffing out importantly. "I've also got things like-"  
  
"Mr. Cowell." Ginny had interupted, feeling slightly nauseous as she suddenly realised what kind of deal Cowell wanted to make. "I don't think I want to know any more."  
  
"Why not?" Cowell had demanded. "I think this is the perfect market for your business. You'd be expanding and making a packet of money as well." His tone had sounded almost pleading.   
  
Ginny had swallowed her repulsion. "I'm sorry Mr. Cowell but I think you've got the wrong idea about Virginia's secret. We cater for the slightly more......tasteful client."  
  
The expression on Cowell's face had changed. Now he looked furious. "You snobby little bitch." He'd snapped.  
  
Ginny's eyes had widened in shock. Being a Weasley the last thing she'd ever been accused of was being a snob, and she couldn't help but smile.   
  
"You can laugh now," Cowell had snapped. "But you won't be laughing soon. I'll teach you a lesson, if it's the last thing I ever do."  
  
The last part had sounded too much like the lines usually uttered by villians in muggle movies and Ginny had shook her head. "Goodbye Mr. Cowell." She said, and she'd left his house with a smile still on her face at being called a snob.  
  
Ginny took a deep breath. Cowell had certainly tried to keep his promise to her! With the help of Rita Skeeter articles about Ginny's "unwholesome"business had appeared in The Daily Prophet often. She hoped desperately that Cowell's cellar was looking a lot different to how it had looked a few months back, and she hurried down the stairs after the others.   
  
Ron and Hermione had turned on the light, and Ginny heard Draco mutter something which sounded very much like a swear word. She felt her breath catch in her throat- if Draco's reaction was anything to go by Cowell had yet to complete his spring-cleaning. And from what she knew of Draco he was bound to connect it to her! She took the final turn in the stairs and then gaped in surprise.   
  
The cellar was filled from top to bottom with various articles which Ginny, even in her inexperience with this, knew to be paraphernalia associated with Dark Wizards!   
  
Draco stepped over to a shelf and picked up a severed hand a strange look on his face. Ron snapped "I suppose the cellar of your family mansion looks exactly like this Malfoy."  
  
Ginny looked at her brother. The disgust was evident on his face as he looked at Draco with distaste.  
  
Draco put the severed hand down and turned to Ron. "I wouldn't know." He said mildly. "I haven't been in there in years."  
  
"Yeah, sure." Ron scoffed.   
  
"Ron." Hermione said firmly. "Let it go."  
  
Draco shot a surprised look at Hermione. They'd never gotten along at school and he was surprised to hear her agree with him now. "For your information Ron I'm not the same person I was back at school. I'm a barrister for the Ministry of Magic now- we're on the same side."  
  
Ron looked as though he were going to dispute this claim, but Hermione had laid a hand on his arm.   
  
Draco sighed. "I better get back to the Ministry and report this new development." He said. "Ron, Hermione."  
  
He turned to Ginny, who was still standing on the last step. "Virginia."He said with a slight smile. "I'm sure we'll be seeing each other soon."  
  
Ginny felt her heart skip a beat. Could it be that she was actually looking forward to seeing Draco again? Before she could reply he'd brushed past her and was on his way out of the room.  
  
"Did you hear that?" Ron burst out. "'I wouldn't know.' I'd bet my last sickle he'd know! I'm not an Auror for nothing!"  
  
"Come on. Let's go to The Leaky Cauldron and have a drink before I have to get back to Hogwarts." Hermione said, ignoring Ron's comments.   
  
"And you," Ron said addressing his comments to his younger sister as they left Cowell's house. "'I';m sure we'll be seeing each other.' Yuck! Malfoy's still as smarmy as ever."  
  
Ginny opened her mouth to defend Draco, but instead she simply shrugged and shook her head. She wasn't going to get involved with petty little rivalries. In her mind it was far more important that they solve the murder of Cowell before she ended up in Azkaban!  
  
Back at The Leaky Cauldron they all ordered drinks and got a table in the corner of the room. "So," Hermione asked quietly. "What do you all think?"  
  
Ron took a sip of his butterbeer before responding. "Well if Cowell's a Dark Wizard- and from what was in that cellar I'd say he's more than involved with the Dark Arts- perhaps that takes the suspicions off Ginny."  
  
Hermione nodded. "What do you think Ginny?" She asked.  
  
But Ginny didn't answer. She was staring over her shoulder as someone entered The Leaky Cauldron. Her eyes met his, and she smiled slightly, but his reaction was far different. His eyes widened in shock and then something like fear, as he spotted the trio, and then he turned and raced away. "Ron, Hermione," Ginny said. "Fudge just came in here and then raced off when he saw us!" 


End file.
